Hudson, N.Y. — Kids Need Music is an organization whose mission is to supply instruments for school music programs. This began as a very small, one person effort. There is now a committee, and the organization will be filing for Not For Profit status.
Kids Need Music was born from an experience I had with the Hudson City School District (HCSD) Intermediate School (Grades 3-6). This school started a reading mentoring program five years ago to meet with the same child once a week and read to them over lunch. The child assigned to me was interested in playing in the band but he did not have an instrument. I bought him a trombone.
I then learned from a music teacher, Scott Vorwald, that there are dozens of students in the school on the waiting list to join the band, but who cannot because the school does not have a budget for new instruments, and the families cannot afford them. In fact, it is difficult to determine just how many students want to join the band, because so many just don’t bother to get on the waiting list; it is just too long.
The music program for the entire school district has been atrophying slowly. Over the years the number of music teachers for the district has been reduced from nine teachers to the present five. New instruments for the high school band have not been purchased for about 40 years. The number of students participating in the district music program has been on the decline.
With this as a background and a separate parallel thought, I held a small salon concert in my home. I hired Lincoln Mayorga (pianist) and Sheri Bauer-Mayorga (vocalist) to perform. We had a basket for people to provide donations to pay the performers. But Lincoln and Sheri decided we should put half the proceeds towards helping these kids. We made enough money to buy a trumpet and a flute to donate to the school.
This experience was so inspiring that we held another salon concert in May 2015 with Gili Melamed-Lev (pianist), Jonah Thomas (cello) and Elyce Perico (flute). Gili said she would do the concert only if I would provide a printed concert program with sponsors to raise more money. Between sponsors and donations from the audience, we raised $2,500 which enabled the purchase of 12 instruments for the school.
Subsequently, I joined The Chatham Synagogue Netivot Torah (TCS/NT)Â as chair of their Social Action Committee. One of the efforts the committee took on was to help with Kids Need Music. Having TCS/NT backing launched Kids Need Music to new levels. With the support of TCS/NT Social Action committee members Ellen Goldner, Rachel Weisman, Barbara Lax, and Judy Johnson, and a goal of raising $3,000, a concert was scheduled for October 11, 2015 at the Spencertown Academy featuring Dan Shulman (piano), Kaori Washiyama (violin), and Beth Craig (cello). Over $7,000 was raised. Additionally, many from the congregation of TCS/NT donated their personal instruments.
There was an outpouring of support from individuals and businesses. The Spencertown Academy donated their space for the performance for no charge. Time and Space Limited of Hudson provided free on-screen advertising. Our Daily Bread in Chatham donated catering for the reception. Pro-Printers provided programs at no charge. And Rob Caldwell, proprietor of Musica in Hudson, enabled us to purchase instruments at wholesale cost instead of retail so that twice as many instruments could be purchased. The result of the October 11th concert is that fifty (50) instruments were provided to the Hudson City School District Intermediate School (grades 3-6). Each instrument will be loaned to a child until they graduate high school, at which time the instrument will be refurbished and given to a new child.
There is now a new sense of excitement and hope about the HCSD music program from the school’s teachers, principal, superintendent, board of directors, but most importantly the children. Given the influx of new students every year, it is imperative that this effort continue until the entire school system is saturated with instruments, at least a 10-year effort.
But this issue of lack of funding for music programs is not isolated to the Hudson City School District. Communities around the country have suffered from budget and program cuts. It is time to stop debating with local governments to correct this problem and find ways to partner with the schools as a community. Kids Need Music plans to expand beyond the Hudson City School District to other needy communities.
If you would like more information, would like to make a donation or give an instrument, please contact Craig@KidsNeedMusic.US
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Craig Bender is an IBM executive who has traveled to more than 50 countries. He loves music, hiking the great outdoors, and spending time with his wife, Kelly, living in Columbia County, N.Y. And yes, social action is in his blood!
